English water companies received their lowest combined environmental score since 2011, prompting plans for company-specific action as regulators counted thousands of pollution incidents in England and Wales during 2025.
A joint report from the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, the Drinking Water Inspectorate and Ofwat recorded 2,991 water-company pollution incidents, including 84 classed as serious. The tally covers incidents from companies’ sewerage and clean-water assets. A separate Environment Agency assessment of nine providers in England counted 2,666 incidents, including 74 serious ones.
In that assessment, Severn Trent Water was the only company to receive four stars, the top rating. Four companies were rated “poor performing (1 star),” and four were placed in the “requiring improvement” two-star category. The nine companies earned 16 of 36 possible stars. The agency said weaker results in some areas and tighter standards contributed to the decline.
The joint report also found that companies missed deadlines for 142 of 2,254 planned environmental improvement actions. More than £104 billion in investment is planned for 2025 to 2030, covering infrastructure renewal and improvements to water and wastewater services, the regulators said.
The government says Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle plans to set measures for each company covering leaks, pollution and customer satisfaction. The government says the Environment Secretary plans to prioritize visits to six sites associated with Category 1 pollution incidents. Eagle said, “People are sick of excuses.”
Existing rules block executive bonuses at companies rated one star or linked to a Category 1 pollution incident. Eagle is considering tighter restrictions, with further details expected in the coming weeks. The government also says ministers plan to meet chief executives of underperforming water companies.
